Pragmatism and Social Realism in Godaan: A Philosophical Reading in the Light of William James, John Dewey, and Charles Sanders Peirce

Abstract

Godaan is one of the well-known Novels by Munshi Premchand which was written before independence. This paper studies through the lens of classical American pragmatism. The paper claims that Godaan portrays not only the picture of social realism but it also expresses as a pragmatic philosophy. This paper analyses with the thoughts of William James, John Dewey, and Charles Sanders Peirce, how Premchand deals truth, morality, and social institutions of his time in live manner. This novel is a real image of the contemporary society and it was the sickness not only for pre independent era where religious rituals, caste structures, and moral traditions were very deep rooted in the society but they are present today also in the same manner in different forms. This paper examines how Premchand dealt with poverty, exploitation, and human suffering. Hori’s craving to offer the ritual of cow donation which is called Godaan becomes a powerful example of how the prevalent belief system was. It was a harsh reality that rich and the poor had to perform the same rituals when the belief is concerned. This research mirrors the pragmatic view that ideas must be judged by their outcomes. The paper concludes that Godaan unites Indian social context with universal philosophical inquiry, presenting literature as a space where social values are examined through experience. In doing so, Premchand’s novel demonstrates the enduring relevance of pragmatic thought in understanding and reforming society.

Keywords: Pragmatism, Social Realism, Literary Ethics, Rural India, Premchand, Philosophical Criticism